Dream Job

How does one go about getting the following jobs?  I would be perfect, and then some, at each of them:

1. Nail Polish Namer.  Tart Deco?  Mrs. Leary BBQ?  I can do that!

2. Host of Diners, Drive- Ins, and Dives.  I know that technically Guy Fieri is a chef, so he knows a whole lot bit more about cooking than I, but he doesn't cook on this show.  No, he just eats.  And that is something that I have mastered.

3. Professional People Watcher.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know this probably isn't a real job, but according to the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, I am a very observant individual. Therefore, (I have no idea how exactly that is related) I am a very good people watcher.  (PS, best place for people watching? Vegas.  Hands. Down.)

4.  Professional Pinterest-er.  Yes, I know that this too is not a job....yet.  Just you wait, I am going to make this my career.

{check out my pinterest here}

SBB

If you haven't read Suri's Burn Book, you are seriously missing out.  It is a hilariously funny little blog written in the words of Suri Cruise as she passes judgement on the other children in Hollywood.  I was not a huge Tom/Katie/Suri fan until reading this- and now I like to think that Suri thinks and talks and acts just like the witty girl behind the blog. 

The author of the blog has actually written a book, and she is having a book launch party in DC next week.  I secretly want to go.  Any one in the DC, MD, VA area want to join? :)

follow Suri's Burn Book: @surisburnbook

x

Matchbook Magazine Survey

Remember in middle school when you would get email surveys forwarded from all your friends?  And then you would fill them out and forward them to all your friends?  I have a confession: I loved those!  I loved learning random facts about people, to what they liked, what they didn't, what they would rather do...

Matchbook Magazine (one of my absolute faves!) has really classed up those surveys and their cover girl gets to take them and share their thoughts.  I stole this from the August Issue of Matchbook Mag.  A little about Maria.

TEA OR COFFEE?  Sweet Tea or Iced Coffee

I COLLECT... Koozies

FAVORITE CITY? Rome

SPRING OR FALL? Fall in Montana, Spring everywhere else

BLOOM OF CHOICE?  Hydrangeas.

STYLE ICON? Reese Witherspoon

CHINA PATTERN? Don't have one.  I will someday though!

I'M LUSTING AFTER... Frye Boots

MOST PRIZED POSSESSION?  This is a tough one.  The pearls my parents gave me and my postcard book from Europe.

GIRL CRUSH? Kate Middleton

BOY CRUSH? Ryan Gosling

ON WEEKENDS... Sleeping in, brunching, going out, church, reading, being outside.

have a great weekend!

x

Target + Neiman Marcus

I am so excited for this!  

What a fantastic collaboration this will be!

Oh Target, how I love you.

x

Ummm

These are adorable.

Kate Spade Mildred Sheer Pumps.

Obsessed.

x

a few happy things

all of these things are random, but they made my pinterest boards week a little prettier.

I get to go home in 13 days.

I could not be more excited!

And this article/list made me think, laugh, feel better about myself.

have a wonderful weekend!

x

1 month...

...until I am home.

x

Sunday Things

It is difficult living alone, not knowing anyone, in a place that is so incredibly different than any place you've ever known.

(And that is the understatement of the next ten years.)

But I decided yesterday, to suck it up and make the day a good one.  And it was.

I went to church (I'm lovin' the church I found), I got an ice coffee, I sat outside and wrote, I walked around the cute little downtown, I window shopped, I engaged in some wonderful small talk with some really nice people, I cleaned my house, I made an at home skin brightening toner (potions!) and then I went on a date (like a couple beers and a boat ride date).

Here are some photos from my day:

cute little cosmetics case

Scottie Dogs and Antiques!

delicious salad for lunch (if I do say so myself)

casual ootd

hope you had a wonderful weekend!
xx

Two

 Today Baby Al turn 2. She is no longer a baby!

Alyson (aka Gal Pal Al) is the youngest of the 3 children I used to nanny for, 

and most definitely my favorite tiny person.  

We had lots of fun together: having photos shoots with my phone, visiting my parents and the dogs (dahs?), going on walks, and pretending to read books.  

I will take full credit for educating her on the various dipping sauces for chicken nuggets, as well as teaching her the basic moves from Toddlers & Tiaras.

First day we hung out

Winter Walk

Fantastic Pigtails

Besties

If you give a toddler a cookie...

I miss her so much!  

Happy Birthday Alyson!

x

New Dress

I have been obsessing about this dress for a few weeks, and decided today that I need it.  A Cup of Jo, one of my favorite blogs, has a coupon code for ASOS, and obviously 20% off anything makes it totally worth it.

So do I get mint or navy?

hmmm decisions decisions.

Pomp and Circumstance

 On May 27th, my baby sister, Rikka Louise, graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College.

It was such a great weekend, including her golf banquet (go gusties!), moving her out (so much funnn), touring the beautiful campus, great music from the choir at the baccalaureate, meeting all her awesome friends (they are so nice in Minnesota!) and of course graduation.

I was also thrilled to see my family after 3 long months and just hanging out with them was a major blessing.

So proud of you Rikka!

The Fam

Such proud parents...

...and of course Henry and I were ecstatic

So excited

Roomies: Amy, Erianna, Rikka, and Hillary

Congratulations Frix!

x

Pinterest

Things I have learned from Pinterest:

1. I need to work out.

2. Some people, mostly my friends, have really good taste.  (Also, some people: not so much.)

3. There are a million little wedding details that can be so fun!

4. How to make crescent pizza rolls, a million different kinds of crock-pot tacos, and yogurt dots.

5. There are a lot of bloggers, chefs, photographers, and generally creative people out there.

{one of my faves}

6. Chocolate chips (white and regular) look really cute shoved into raspberries.

7. I seriously need a really pretty, pink ombre cake.

Thank you Ben, and the rest of the Pinterest team.
You have taught me so much!

Follow me on Pinterest here.

x

Weekly Gratitude

This week, I am thankful for:

• Tom Petty.  Seriously, every song is so good. Every time.
• The amazing beef tenderloin, caramelized onions, arugula, and spicy mayo sandwich that our chef made me this week.  First, it was amazing.  Second, it kept me fed for like, 2.5 days.  Yum!
• My mom.
• My teddy bear.  My oldest and most favorite stuffed animal is always down for a good cuddle.
• Facetime with my parents.  Chatting with both of them, giving tours of our houses, whistling at the dogs, etc. all while over the phone "face to face" is something that makes being so far away from them a lot easier.

Friday Favorites

When I first saw this on a random episode of "Parks and Rec" I was near tears laughing.  Ridiculously silly.

Have a happy Friday!

x

Happy Birthday Katharine!

Happy Birthday 

to my amazing mom!

Katharine (as I affectionately call her) is seriously the most wonderful woman I know. I am always so flattered whenever anyone says I remind them of her or look, talk or act like her.  

She is so generous, wise, silly, and fun!  

It is hard to be so far away from her, but I am so lucky that we still get to talk every day.

Doing festive jello shots at Cat/Griz

With gal pal Al

my adorbs, empty-nester parents

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you so!

xxxxxxx

lots of kisses to you!

Polished Off

I am usually indecisive and full of doubt, but when I find something I like, I loooove it.  And usually then tend to obsess over it.  And never fear, I have found something worthy of my obsession.  

Essie nail polish.  

I love the colors.  I love the names of the colors.  I love the cute little square bottles and the white caps.  I love the magazine ads. And, most of the time, I love the quality of the polish.

And now this little obsession has become a problem.  I look at the Essie website way too much.  I just ordered 3 new polishes off of Nordstrom.  I can't leave Target without buying at least one polish (hence the reason I had to have a Target detox and am not allowed to go back for the rest of the month).

Some of my new fave colors:

Knock Out Pout

Mint Candy Apple

Anniversary Gala

What is your favorite brand of nail polish?  Your favorite color?

x

{photos via}

Weekly Gratitude

Weekly Gratitude is back! I have so much to be thankful for, and it never hurts to articulate (slash write) what those things are. This week I am grateful for:

• New windshield wipers.  They are fantastic!  Super nice and work so well and with all the rain I have been driving in, I am so happy to have them!
• Notes from my sister.  Rikka sends me happy little letters all the time and they always brighten my day.  Plus she is hilarious and I end up laughing to myself for hours from her one liners. 
• That I have a job!  A real, big girl, I-have-business-cards-job.  The fact that this job is 2,000+ miles away from my friends and family is hard, but that doesn't mean that having said job is not a huge blessing and answer to prayer.
• The fact that I was raised in a healthy and safe environment. The amount of people I have encountered in the last few months that have serious drug addictions that are ruining lives is so sad.  I am very naive when it comes to drugs, but I am so blessed that I was raised in a place and by a family that was not dependent or corrupted by heroin, cocaine, meth, or prescription pills.
• #whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com.  Keeps me entertained and laughing when I need a quick pick me up at work.
• My wonderful friends that call and text me every week, because they know how bad I am at keeping in touch.  Their calls, texts, and emails mean so much to me.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

x

Favorite Things Friday

I am pretty much obsessed with Sound of Music.  Anyone who knows me knows that it is one of my absolute favorite movies, that adore the soundtrack, that I went on the official Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg, Austria...

So I have decided to have a weekly blog post about some of my favorite things.  

Here are some of my current faves:

I absolutely ADORE hydrangeas.  

And I love them in these colors especially.

They are my favorite flowers (along with roses, ranunculous, and peonies) 

I love Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert.  

I just think they are so cute together, and they are so genuine and real.  

Plus they are hilarious and I bet they have so much fun making each other laugh.

This hot coral bag and cute outfit.  I am in love with all things coral and really think I need this bag.

xx

{all photos via pinterest}